Cash Game:

I am no longer losing at micro limit cash games. It took a few hours to make up for my bad beat, and donkey bluff I made. Finally I am back in the black and up to a 10bb/100 rate. I had a really nice 90 min. session last night. I end up joining a table where a few of my tight passive players are hanging out. From the start the action is fast between a few of the "maniacs" I saw one player bluff with nothing (9 high) into a board of T, J, A, 4, Q -- only to be called with A2! wow. thats either a good read, or someone really likes top pair. Either way, im ready.

I fold away the majority of the hands, as both maniacs are playing 80% of the hands and show a willingness to call pre-flop raises and post flop raises. Eventually I pick up Kings in middle position as both Maniacs have limped in. I make it 5x the BB expecting the both to call, but wanting them to pay for it.

only one makes the call, which is fine with me. Flop comes 6, 7, 8 rainbow. not the best flop for playing against a guy who could have any card. if he has a draw, he shall pay for another card. he checks: I bet about 60% of the pot. He calls.

Turn: 7 - I am not sure if this is a bad card or not. My guess is its safe - but A7 is surely a hand he'd be playing now. Maniac has more chips then I do, so if he does out draw me, it could be costly. Math says its the right play.

Maniac checks: I again bet about 65% of the pot -- Maniac calls:

River: 7 - Love the card. The only cards that beat me are the lone 7, (what are you going to do) AA (again, what are you going to do) and 88 -- meh.

Player now makes a bet of about half the pot. Player makes a lot of moves, he was bluffing with nothing and I am huge at this point but i'm not nuts. Lets look at some options:

Fold: no chance
Call: against a tighter oppt. probably. This was played like a trap, call, call, bet. -- 88's would be a def. possibility.
Raise: There is a lot of money in the pot, but the abnormal thing is that both of our stacks have even more money. Normally at this point one of us would be pot committed. -- So now its not just raise, but how much?

Lets keep it simple. I am pretty sure I have the best hand so we raise. I raise it up a little over 200% of his raise -- a nice stiff bet, but if he has a boat he has to call.

He calls and flips over 55 -- and I win a really nice pot. Though the Maniac didn't really play this hand like a maniac.

My other big pot came against the same oppt. who hasn't reloaded and is low on cash. This came about 10 hands after our KK v 55 encouter. Player has been playing wildly going all-in on a few occasions (he still has over 200x the bb) Other maniac limps in and I pick up 99 -- I put in a nice raise of 4x BB only to have Maniac raise me 6x times the BB:

This is all about perception and if any other player had made this raise my 99's would have hit the muck before his chips hit the table. one thing immediatly go thru my head right now. one, he didn't go all-in, which makes me think he actually does have a hand. So I want to slow it down on a dangerous flop.

Flop: 7 5 2 Rainbow:

Can't ask for much more with 99: Player immeditatly goes all-in: he only has about 150% of the pot. and could be pushing in with anything. I call: Player flips of AQo -- and I avoid the six outer and pick up another nice pot. Maniac immed. leaves the table and I feel lucky I was the one able to get his chips and avoid the suckouts.

I left the table shortly after to do a 90 man sit n go (finished 26th OTM) just could never get into the right groove. Though I went to bed at about 2:00am knowing i've been playing some of my best cash game sessions. It all matters, even at the penny table.